184 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE WEST COAST 



alone they could not be separated, but the determining features 

 are found on the under side ; this feature, however, is not confined 

 to this class of butterflies alone, but is present in other genera, as 

 well. 



Satyrids seldom or never feed on flowers, but spend their time 

 in sitting idly on the ground, doing nothing. All of them have a 

 habit of alighting on the ground as a resting-place ; usually each 

 individual has a particular spot to which it will return again and 

 again. Several of the species, when alarmed, will fly precipitately 

 to the cover of some thorn-bush, or hide by alighting in some 

 inaccessible place, rather than fly about, so that they are rather 

 vexatious things to hunt for. All are of weak flight, and they 

 do not attempt to escape their enemies by flight alone, but will 

 hide and remain quiet and still, simulating death as much as any 

 butterflies can do. 



All satyrid larvae feed on grasses, I believe; and if confined, the 

 females will lay their eggs on the enclosing net, or on any object 

 that is at hand. 



The sex -marks are larger size, and more ocelli, on the female 

 vnng, and also the abdomen of the female is larger and heavier 

 that that of the male. 



249. Satyrus Stephensi, n. s. 



Plate XXIII ; Figures 249, b, c. 



Fig. 249, Male, Northeastern California, 1894; F. Ste- 

 phens. 



b. Female, Northeastern California, 1894; F. Ste- 



phens. 



c, Female, underside. Northeastern California, 



1894; F. Stephens. 



As the plate shows so well, this is the grandest Satyrus of the 

 West Coast, or, for that matter, of any coast of North America. 

 The examples have been in my possession since the date above 

 cited, ten years, awaiting this opportunity to be shown to the 

 world. 



Characters : 2j4 to 2I/2 inches expanse ; basal half of both 

 wings, gray-brown, not darker at base ; light buflf band nearly half 

 an inch broad across both wings, not varying, except narrower and 

 dusky near anal angles ; two dark brown, white-pupilled ocelli 

 on fore wings, the apical one in the female is slightly twinned; 



